


Promise Me Forever

by BlueLotus



Category: A-Team (2010)
Genre: Angst, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-01
Updated: 2011-09-01
Packaged: 2017-10-23 08:18:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/248165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueLotus/pseuds/BlueLotus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written in answer to the following LJ ATeam Kink Meme prompt... <i>Hannibal and Face hooked up, but Hannibal isn't as happy as he should be. Because there are things that Face can do in bed, certain moves, certain positions and little tricks. These things are amazing and sexy as hell, but... he must have learned them somewhere, right? From past lovers, adventorous lovers, incredible lovers. Hannibal is jealous of all the men that came before him, and afraid he won't be able to measure up to them... cue the angst!!</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Promise Me Forever

He's nearly there. Hannibal can feel it, like a tight coil low in his belly... just... wait for it... And Face does that thing with his tongue, that trick with his throat somehow sucking Hannibal's thick cock even further in... And that coil snaps, his body convulses, stiffens, jerks as his orgasm literally _explodes_ out of him.

Face drinks him down. Takes everything Hannibal gives, swallows again and again... and again, until he's spent and his dick is half soft. But the kid hasn't finished yet, Hannibal knows this. Braces himself... but he's _never_ prepared for it. And when Face tips his head forward, opens wide and somehow - Hannibal is _still_ amazed how - engulfs his tingling balls in the hot wet heat of his mouth alongside his burning, twitching cock... he nearly screams.

It's a move Face knows. One of many, and Hannibal is insanely jealous of every man and woman that taught him them. He knows he's being irrational, but it just slams home how inexperienced he really is in comparison.

And that scares the shit out of him.

Vibrations send shivers racing up his spine, and Hannibal's ears barely register the harsh nasal sounding breathing and low, sinfully lusty humming coming from his lover as his body reacts to the wonderful tight heat around his genitals. He can _feel_ his now painfully over sensitised cock practically swallowed down, filling to hardness again, that wickedly talented tongue massaging his balls, and Hannibal's foggy brain tells him to wait... wait...

Because he's going to come _again_!

It's another of Face's little trick's, one that sends him flying, and then falling so hard Hannibal doesn't know which way is up. And seriously, he doesn't know how the kid does it... doesn't want to even think about all the practice he's had to perfect it.

He feels those long fingers trail through the saliva he knows is dripping down his ass crack, feels them stroke across his spasming hole, and a thumb press slightly against his perineum - a G spot he never knew he had before Face showed him. A shudder steals his breath, rips it from his lungs. His fists twist and pull at the bed sheets, his legs tremble wildly... he's falling... Knows it... He can feel the tendrils of the abyss starting to drag him down...

And then Face swallows hard around the dick filling his throat, practically choking him, slides two fingers into Hannibal's ass, crooking them and unerringly finding the man's prostate, and rubs across that little gland hard and fast, thumb now firmly pressing against Hannibal's perineum.

And those tendrils mercilessly latch on to Hannibal as his body once again is almost violently torn apart.

-

He's floating. Somewhere between life and fantasy, where it's calm and beautiful, and surreal. Everything here is carefree and Hannibal wants to stay, but he can't. It's not real.

The things Face does to him, _only_ Face, both amazes and unnerves him. No one has ever made Hannibal come so hard he passes out, like Face has. No one has ever sent him to a place of erotic bliss with just a flick of his tongue... like Face has.

It makes him wonder if Face _fakes_ his own orgasm when Hannibal takes control.

That thought jolts Hannibal awake, and he opens his eyes to see his lover's bright blue ones gazing softly back at him.

"Hey. You back with me now, John?" Face smiles gently, fingers stroking idly over Hannibal's left nipple.

Hannibal swallows when his dry throat refuses to pass words.

"That was amazing," Face murmurs, breath teasing now across the firm chest, Hannibal's nipples both pebbling instantly. "The way you filled me, deep... I could feel your heart beating inside me..."

"I could'a... choked you," Hannibal frowns as the fog in his brain clears. Face looks up and smiles at him, a beautiful full smile that almost disarms Hannibal.

"Never, baby," the young man breathes seductively, the hot moist breath ghosting over Hannibal's nipple, quickly followed by cold air blown across the sensitive nub, sending his nerves into a dance of euphoric excitement.

Another trick.

And Hannibal jerks away.

"John?" Face blinks, a mix of worry and confusion in his eyes. "Did... did I do something wrong?"

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Hannibal frowns uncomfortably at how weak he feels. Only Face does that to him... makes him come so hard that he's _totally_ spent in every possible way. And he's only uncomfortable at the fact that every amazing, incredible, sexy as _hell_ move Face uses... he learned from someone else.

A tentative hand on his shoulder has Hannibal turning towards his young, beautiful and extremely talented lover, and he musters up a smile. But try as he might, Hannibal can't make it reach his eyes.

And Face deserves more than that. It's not his fault, not really.

"John?" And this time, his name is spoken so hesitantly it tears at Hannibal's heart.

"S'okay, kid," Hannibal nods and pats Face's hand, tries for levity, chuckling, "I'm just tired. You fuckin' wore me out!"

Face chuckles along with Hannibal, but the air is already heavy with a tension that has no place being there.

Standing on wobbly legs, Hannibal looks down at his dick, half expecting it to be red raw and swollen after what Face had done to him, but he looks fine. A little flushed, and still sticky with dried saliva, but that's all. He turns to Face, who is silently watching every move, his hand absently palming his still hard cock, and tells him he's going for a shower. A flash of hurt crosses the kid's face for a second before it's quickly hidden, but Hannibal sees it.

Face wants to cuddle, loves to cuddle after mind blowing sex, loves to trace lazy patterns across Hannibal's skin, tease himself towards his own orgasm, loves Hannibal to coax it out of him, loves to kiss long and deep languorous wet kisses that last seemingly for hours at a time, slowly moving together, and then Face would press up against Hannibal with his still rock hard and needy dick and gently rotate his hips in _that_ way that makes Hannibal's heart pound wildly in his chest...

 _Another_ trick.

And that red haze of irrational jealousy clouds his eyes again.

"I'm goin' for a shower," he repeats and waits a second before moving.

"Want company?" Face asks, his demeanour unsure, voice hoping, but Hannibal closes the bathroom door leaving the young man sitting all alone in the middle of the king size bed.

oOo

Face stares at the door trying to process what had happened. He just didn't understand what he'd done wrong? He'd given Hannibal his best blow job, used every trick he knew - and he knew lots - and had brought his lover to orgasm twice. _Twice!_

He looks down at his own erection, pathetically wilting between his thighs, and sighs dejectedly. Hannibal hadn't even helped him get off.

Was Hannibal bored with him now? Didn't he want him anymore? That has to be it, Face thinks. Hannibal's had enough of him. After years of being together, Hannibal's finally had enough.

Falling back on the bed, Face stares up at the ceiling of the master bedroom in the house that he'd scammed only the day before. A house he'd worked especially hard to acquire because it has a well stocked library.

Hannibal's eyes had lit up, Face remembers with a smile, and in that second all the hard work had been worth it.

But the smile fades as he listens to the shower run on longer than Hannibal's usual time, and Face feel's his heart start to crack. Tears sting the back of his eyes and he swallows them away. It would do no good to let Hannibal to see him crying...

...see him as that pathetic little boy that always cried when he was left alone. Again. Because that's what always happened. He was ...defective, unlovable. Unwanted.

So, why should this time be any different? Face had been let down so many times in his life, he should be used to it.

But he wasn't. He never had been. Never. It always hurt.

And this time... it hurt the most.

This time he'd opened his heart to the one man he thought was his forever. Hannibal had promised him that when they'd first got together as more than a colonel and his lieutenant. Face remembers that well, a memory he permanently etched into his brain because it was a turning point in his life... The point when he finally felt safe enough to let someone in...

 _"I love you," Face whispered against Hannibal's lips, nerves making his voice quaver._

 _"Love you, too, kid," Hannibal chuckled back, but Face shook his head and shifted his body on top of his lover's, looking deep into his eyes._

 _"No... I mean, I _love_ you," he said again, more confident this time, but still hesitant as if bracing himself for rejection. _

Hannibal framed the kids face in his hands and looked back at him, serious. "And I love you, Templeton," he said, not a hint of amusement anywhere. "I love you with all my heart, my soul, and if... you want me... I'll love you forever. You're it, kid. For me, there's no one else."

As romantic declarations went, it was pretty good, but to Face it was rare sweet music, and tears spilled over his long lashes and splashed onto Hannibal's chest.

"Yes," he croaked, swallowed hard and tried again, "Yes... forever yours."

They'd made beautiful love into the early hours of the morning after that, and Face had finally felt he'd found his home.

But he was wrong.

The door to the bathroom opens and Hannibal steps out wrapped in a towel robe. Face flicks his eyes from the ceiling to his lover and paints on a smile for him, even though he doesn't feel it.

"Is everything alright, Hannibal?" he asks, keeping his voice neutral and deliberately not using 'John'.

"Yeah, just tired," Hannibal replies but doesn't look at him, can't look at him. He's so ashamed of himself at the way he treated his boy. He didn't even get him off after that amazing, mind melting blow job Face had given him.

"You want me to sleep in the guest room tonight?" Face says softly, half question, half statement, and Hannibal feels his insides freeze.

"No! No, of course not," he shakes his head firmly and Face breathes in a quick breath of what sounds like hope. "Why? Do you want to?"

And that's the point Hannibal extinguishes that hope in that one small question. He sits down, his back to his lover and doesn't see Face close his eyes and nod in acceptance.

He does feel the bed shift as Face gets up, though.

"Where're you going?" Hannibal asks as Face pulls on his boxers. Face blinks at him confused.

"Um..."

Pulling back the sheets, Hannibal motions to the bed, "Get in, kid," he says and waits until Face slowly climbs back into bed, that wary little bewildered expression still on his face. And Hannibal hates it.

Hates himself for putting that look there.

Stripping off his robe, Hannibal settles back into the bed as well, and pulls the sheet up high over both Face and himself. They both lie still staring up at the ceiling, unmoving, not touching... what feels like miles between them.

It's really no different than if Face _had_ gone to the guest room.

"Hannibal-"

"Face-"

The names clash and they stop. Wait.

"Hannibal," Face sighs when Hannibal doesn't speak again. "Are you... I mean... Did I do something wrong tonight?"

The silence drags on and every second passing weighs heavily on Face's heart.

Oh god. He was right.

And the walls that had crumbled all those years ago started rebuilding again.

-

What could Hannibal say to Face when he wasn't sure of the answer to the question himself? He could hear Face's breathing quicken and knew the anxiety he was causing, knew that the kid would blame himself for something that wasn't even his fault.

He could practically hear those damned walls going up again.

"Face... Tem... It's not you," he starts and cringes at how lame that sounds.

"Then what-"

"Look, kid. I... ah..." Hannibal blows out a breath and tries again. "You did nothing wrong. In fact you did everything... amazing, like you always do. You were amazing."

"So... but," Face frowns even more confused, "I don't-"

Hannibal turns onto his side. "I love you, kid," he murmurs and Face stares silently at him. The colonel gently urges the young man to face him, close the distance between them, and Face slowly moves into his arms. Hannibal instantly wraps his lover in an embrace, closing his eyes and breathing in Face's warm scent, wincing when he feels the boy tremble. God, what has he done?

Minutes pass as the two men hold each other, minutes where Hannibal fights his inner demons, tries to clamp down on that stupid jealousy he really has no need to feel. Face is with him because the kid loves him. _Loves_ him.

So what if he knows a trick or two? Everything his beautiful boy does is fucking mind blowing, Hannibal's damned lucky.

Face can make even him hard in seconds just with a certain look, the way he tilts his head, glances at Hannibal through his long lashes, eyes twinkling, a little coy smile playing on his lips...

Another little skill Face has mastered to perfection, and, Hannibal wonders now with a small frown, probably uses it as a tool in his scams, too.

It's a look that get's Face exactly what he wants.

An uncomfortable heat in his chest bubbles up again as he thinks about all the people Face has conned. Did he use that look on them, too?

Hannibal's arms unconsciously tighten around Face and the young man gasps, warm breath gusting against Hannibal's neck, and his eyes snap open and see wide crystal blue ones looking up at him, gaze vulnerable, open, hoping...

And Hannibal leans in and kisses him before he knows what he's doing.

-

Face sighs into the kiss, puts everything he has into it too, like it's his last one.

Because it probably is, he thinks.

He loves Hannibal though, and won't give him up without a fight... or maybe up the ante with his seduction techniques. Perhaps if his lover is bored with him, it's time to change tactics and pull out the big guns, so to speak.

Skills he learned in another lifetime, one he'd rather forget ever existed. Tricks he'd had to perfect simply to survive...

He rolls easily when Hannibal pushes him onto his back, and opens his legs willingly, ruthlessly pushing back memories leaking from that box he'd locked away in his mind years ago. Hannibal kisses him deeply, slowly, just how he likes it, and it helps to just lose himself in the feel of that languid tongue stroking against his own, Hannibal's hard body rubbing teasingly...

Hardness presses into his abs, and Face's cock fills. He groans into Hannibal's mouth.

"Like that?" Hannibal breathes quietly.

Arching into the sensations, Face sighs long and hard, "...fuck, yeah."

And Hannibal takes his mouth again. Face opens wide, uses his tongue to lick up against the palette, just behind Hannibal's teeth. The effect is instant and Face grunts when his head is yanked back, fingers tight in his hair, and his mouth is plundered.

Oh yeah, that never fails.

His neck is next, and Face mewls deliciously when teeth scrape along his skin. And by the time Hannibal reaches his throbbing cock, Face is writhing and panting, desperate.

He lets out an elated cry the instant Hannibal sucks him in, utterly euphoric as his body responds and shudders in pleasure. He loves it when Hannibal does this. Loves to give himself over completely and let go, let his lover take him... and he laughs blissfully a little, relishing every wonderful moment

In the back of his mind, he hopes for whatever he did wrong Hannibal has now forgiven him.

-

Hannibal's mouth is full, hard throbbing flesh pulsing against his tongue. And he's trying his damnedest to make this good for Face, he is, but when Hannibal hears that breathy little laugh, all his inadequacies come rushing forward.

His best is not good enough. Not by Face's standards anyhow.

But his young lover is undulating shamelessly beneath him, sheen of sweat making his smooth, flushed, tan skin glisten in the low lamp light. Face is gasping and moaning like he wants it. Like what Hannibal is doing is driving him wild with need...

And although Hannibal knows Face loves sex, fucking knows it's not unusual for him to laugh in delight alongside his breathy gasps and wanton moans, he suddenly feels like the kid is laughing _at_ him instead.

Because he's not nearly as talented in bed as Face is. And that jealousy raises its ugly head once more as he realises he won't ever be able to measure up to the men that came before.

And Face is simply putting on a good show for him.

"Fuck... John... c'mon, I'm close," Face gasps, and Hannibal watches as the kid sucks on his fingers and strokes the slick digits over his nipples, moaning huskily, his sculptured chest expanding to the touch.

Hannibal's eye twitches bitterly as his mind selfishly wonders who the fuck taught him that.

" _Please..._ "

The needy plea somehow cuts through the jealous haze and Hannibal engulfs Face's cock again, instantly tasting heat and salt, and he sucks hard. Once.

It's all Face needs, and he comes with a hoarse shout, shooting hot musky fluid over Hannibal's tongue.

Hannibal licks him clean almost mechanically. Show over.

"Man, that was... John... Fuck," Face pants from the pillows, Hannibal doesn't look up, yanks at the sheet instead and covers them both.

Turning on his side when Hannibal lies back against the pillows, Face reaches a hand over and rests it on the older man's chest, thumb rubbing over his nipple just once.

"Thank you," he murmurs and smiles. Hannibal covers Face's hand, swallows and nods.

Flicking off the lamp, Hannibal listens as Face falls asleep. Wonders again why this perfect, beautiful, amazing man wants him of all people. Loves him even. But he isn't good enough, and will never be. Hannibal knows he should be happy with Face, and he is... mostly, but is Face just humouring an old man?

Hannibal is scared of the answer to that.

It's a good hour later when he follows Face into slumber, but not before he sees the first twilight of dawn. And on the cusp of sleep he decides that maybe it's best for both of them if he let's Face go.

oOo

Breakfast is a blueberry affair. Blueberry pancakes, blueberry juice, blueberry oatmeal... blueberries in everything, courtesy of the team's pilot.

"G'mornin' bossman," Murdock chirps cheerfully as Hannibal shuffles into the kitchen. He looks up and blinks at his pilot, surprised to see him. He wasn't expecting him and BA back until 'noon.

"What're you doin' here?" he asks. Murdock just grins at him.

"Bosco an' me found out that client Mr Lee saw is keine gute dirty douch tasche," he mimics in German and shrugs. "So we kinda ditched him."

"Oh," Hannibal offers helpfully. The pilot blinks at him and whistles.

"Geez... you an' Facey have a late night las' night?" he grins at the bloodshot eyes and dark circles. Hannibal just frowns at him and pours himself a coffee.

Murdock chuckles. He knows how insatiable they can be... long into the night. Has heard them at it many, _many_ times...

"So, when can we expect Facey up?" he asks with a knowing wink.

"Whenever," Hannibal mumbles and closes his eyes blocking out the sea of blueberry infused food on the kitchen table.

BA walks in and just rolls his eyes when he sees Murdock flipping more pancakes. He closes the door and sits by Hannibal. "Murdock, you told Hannibal 'bout that fool client?"

"'Course I did, Bosco," the pilot smiles and flips his frying pan. The pancake sticks to the ceiling. "Oops," he giggles.

"Face ain't gonna be pleased you got shit all over his scammed house, fool," BA grunts. The pancake peels off and falls to the floor.

"Problem solved," Murdock announces with flair and BA grunts again before ignoring the pilot completely and turning to Hannibal to talk business.

"Dumb kid wasn't nothin' but a fuckin' stoolie, Hannibal," he growls. "An' there's no gang terrorisin' any old folks. We checked."

Hannibal sighs into his coffee. It frustrates him, frustrates them all in fact, when this happens. A client who turns out to be nothing more than an informant for the law, hoping they'll be the one to help capture The A-Team, greedy for that moment of fame.

"What about that girl... Kandy," he asks - another potential job, and hopefully a legit one.

"Ah yes... Sweet as sugar, Kandy," Murdock croons as he places a mound of blueberry pancakes under Hannibal's nose. "She's clean, ain't she Bosco?"

"Yeah man, she checks out. Her bro's business is legit, Hannibal an' he's been harassed by this bunch o' fuckers for the past four months. Poor dude is desperate, man."

"What is it he does again?" Hannibal muses.

"Erotic toys," Murdock answers, "He fulfils supply an' demand. And there's loads o' demand!"

Great, Hannibal thinks. Sex toys. Another way to remind him how naive about sex he is.

"Oh, hey, mornin' Facey!"

Face grunts and heads past Hannibal and BA to the coffee machine. "What's with all the blueberries, buddy?" he asks.

"It's Blueberry Day. Didn't you know?" the pilot says stunned. He cocks his head and sees the same bloodshot expression that Hannibal is wearing. Face blinks at him.

"What?"

"Oh, nuthin', jus' you an' bossman look well an' truly fucked," Murdock says matter of fact and Hannibal chokes on his coffee. BA pounds his back hard. Face just chuckles softly to himself.

Breakfast is filled with plans for their next job, but not once, Murdock notices, does Hannibal look directly at Face. Usually he enjoys the relaxed way the two men playfully fawn over each other, teasing little glances that annoy and embarrass BA, but today... it's like there's an abyss between them.

Like their very fabric of togetherness has been cracked and the cold space of the Universe is leaking through, making it bigger and bigger, and no amount of blueberries will ever fill it.

The pilot waits until Face disappears to the bathroom and BA begs out of pot duty, hastily making for the door, before he sits with Hannibal.

"So, bossman," he starts quietly. Hannibal looks up from the plans. "What's goin' on 'tween you an' Facey?"

Taken aback at the abruptness of the question, Hannibal stares wide eyed. "W-what d'ya mean?"

"You ain't looked at Face even once durin' breakfast, an' when he joked about testin' out them sex toys you 'bout bust a blood vessel rippin' him a new one," the pilot frowns hard. "So, what gives?"

"He was out of line," the colonel hisses angrily, "And right now, so are you."

"Bullshit... sir!" Murdock hisses right back, stormy blue-green eyes narrowing dangerously.

"It's none of your business, Murdock," Hannibal growls after a moment. He stands and gathers up the plans, gritting his teeth when he feels an iron grip around his forearm.

"You're wrong, Hannibal," Murdock corrects lowly, hand tightening. "I warned you that if you ever hurt him, you'd be sorry."

Hannibal stands still as the disturbingly alien sane tone permeates his very core.

"He loves you, John," Murdock adds very softly now, "You're his whole world, and if... if you break that, you'll break him. An' I don't know if he can come back from that. You understand that don'tcha?"

Nodding, Hannibal realises the voice of reason comes from the unlikeliest of places.

"So, you gonna go talk to Facey?" Hannibal hears the unspoken _And fix it between you guys?_

"Yeah, sure, kid," he replies quietly still a little unnerved by Murdock's astuteness, and his scary ability to exact the truth from him.

Murdock watches silently as Hannibal leaves the kitchen. He pops another blueberry into his mouth and sighs. He just hopes the colonel has something better than small round juicy blue berries, however awesome they are, to help fill that abyss between him and Face.

oOo

The bedroom is silent when Hannibal opens the door. He pads over to the dresser and pulls out his clothes for the day, noticing that Face hasn't yet and reaches down to the kid's drawer, but then hesitates.

And realises it's the first time he's actually second guessing himself whether he'd be welcome to pick out his lover's clothes, and he suddenly feels sick.

"Fuck!" he grates out and closes the drawer again.

He's so angry with himself it's tearing him apart. And tearing his relationship apart, too. He knows this.

Hannibal cringes when he thinks back to that morning, and the way he treated his lover... Face had only joked about testing out the toys. Harmless fun. And what did Hannibal do? Took his frustrations out on him. He remembers the hurt and confused look in those beautiful blue eyes, usually so full of life and love, and closes his own.

Face had gone quiet after that.

Fucking sex toys. Hannibal bets Face knows a whole set of wild and amazing tricks to use with a dildo.

And he wonders again, about all the sexual encounters in Face's life, men infinitely more talented that he is, men able to make it as _good_ for Face as he makes it for them. Like for like, because at the moment, Hannibal's best barely even compares.

And Hannibal doesn't understand why Face is settling for him when he could have so much more, and he only wants what's best for his boy. It's what he deserves.

He sits on the bed and listens to the shower running, imagining Face under the steamy hot water, his gorgeous fit body, firm ass... and swallows when he feels his dick harden inside his shorts.

There's no denying Hannibal's in love with Face, which makes Hannibal's decision all the more harder, but Face needs more than he can give. He's a young man with a healthy, adventurous sex drive, and love just isn't enough.

Ignoring his hard on, Hannibal makes his way to the en suite and silently opens the door to steal himself a few lasting memories before he tells Face it's over between them. But what he sees splinters his heart.

His beautiful boy huddled in the corner of the shower, hands over face, and crying.

-

Face doesn't know how long he's been in the shower, but by the looks of his pruned fingers, it's a while. And he doesn't care.

He thinks about what happened that morning over breakfast. How distant and stand-offish his lover was, and wonders again what he's done so wrong. And when he'd made that joke... Face swallows over the lump in his throat, feels tears stinging his eyes and lets the shower wash them away.

It's all chillingly familiar to him. The signs are starting, a pattern he knows too well... the forced smiles, the tolerance, and then the anger... It's always the same before they leave him.

And no matter what Face does, he can't stop the inevitable. In the past, he'd retaliated, deciding that if they didn't want him, he simply didn't want them, But not this time...

He knows he can't live without Hannibal in his life, he loves him too much, but wonders how hard it would be to live _with_ him, seeing him every day, knowing what they once had together. Would his heart survive that?

He clamps his mouth shut against a sob trying to escape and covers his face with his hands. He can't believe it might all be over. But Hannibal had promised him forever, hadn't he? Face feels his whole world breaking apart, and slides down the slippery tiles and lets the tears come.

Only when his tears are exhausted, Face climbs out of the shower and mechanically dries himself off, carefully ignoring his reflection in the mirror. He already knows what he'll see - desolation, misery, despair. He carefully paints on a mask instead, but although he can't muster up his patented conman smile, his expression belies what he's really feeling, and that's enough.

oOo

Hannibal looks up when Face comes into the bedroom and is momentarily confused at the look on the kid's face, until he sees his eyes. He could always see Face's soul in his eyes, and right now it was miserable.

And not without reason, Hannibal now foolishly realises. He'd let his own insecurities and stupid, selfish inadequacies stop him from seeing what he was doing to Face. And when he saw him in the shower, he felt ... words just can't describe.

Hannibal knows how much the kid loves him, and not because of his sexual prowess (or lack of) in bed, but because of him. How many times has Face told him? _I love _you_ , John..._

And why is he jealous of his former lovers, for god's sake? Face is with _him_ now, because he wants to be. Face chose him.

Chose to be with him forever, just as Hannibal had promised, too.

-

Stopping in his tracks, Face blinks at the man. "Oh, sorry boss, didn't know you were in here," he apologises quietly, quickly lowers his eyes and subconsciously tightens the towel around his waist. "The, ah, the shower's free."

Sighing when he sees Face can't even look at him, Hannibal pats the bed, praying the kid will sit with him. "C'mere, kid."

It takes a moment, but Face sits down. He knows what's coming and steels himself for it, but still doesn't look at Hannibal.

"Tem," Hannibal starts softly, "I'm really sorry."

What? Face blinks up at Hannibal surprised. He wasn't expecting that.

"The way I treated you this morning was appalling, and I'm truly sorry." Hannibal takes a deep breath and frowns hard. He needs to explain things better but is unsure where, or how to start. Face sits in silence, waiting.

Looking at Face, Hannibal smiles hesitantly, "You know I love you, right?" he starts and Face gives him a small nod which makes him smile a little more confidently. "You have to understand that _you've_ done nothing wrong, baby. It's me."

And Face's heart plummets. He knows the 'it's not you it's me' speech well.

"I... I can't compete with..." Hannibal blows out a breath, "Shit."

"Are you breaking up with me?" Face asks softly. Hannibal sucks in a breath.

"No! No... I promised you forever, kid," he says and cringes at the bitter taste that leaves in his mouth as he remembers that that was exactly what he was going to do. "No... I was but... I want to explain, Tem..."

Face swallows hard. Hannibal was going to break up with him? He feels the tears pricking the backs of his eyes again and looks away. He wonders if that's because he'd peeked into that box... Nobody wants a whore.

"You know a lot about sex, kid. Tricks, skills, and they're all fucking amazing," Hannibal says, "And when we make love, you take me to places I'd never been before I met you. Fuck, you can make me pass out from an orgasm, you're _that_ good!"

Oh god... Face screws his eyes shut tight.

"And I got scared," Hannibal admits in a whisper. "I'm scared that you'll leave me because I can't give _you_ that." There's a beat of silence. "I'm so sorry, Tem."

The silence drags on and Hannibal starts seriously worrying that he's fucked everything up even more. "Face, talk to me... Please," he pleads.

But what can he say? Face sighs. He only knows what he does because he's has a less than perfect past, had too many nameless, faceless partners. And would Hannibal understand if he knew the truth? Knew what was in that box...

He only ever wanted to make Hannibal happy. Had he gone too far?

Hannibal tentatively rubs the kid's bare shoulder, registering a slight tremble with a small sad frown. "I'm sorry," he whispers again.

"I'll never leave you," Face finally says so quietly Hannibal has to lean in to hear, "I love you, John."

"Oh Tem," Hannibal sighs and gathers his boy to him, "I love you, too, baby."

They sit like that for a minute as Face tries to process his lover's words. And his arms tighten. What Hannibal gives him is worth more than a few good tricks in bed. He loves it when the man makes love to him, loves everything about it. Because it's pure. Beautiful.

He leans back and looks at his lover, strokes his fingers through the short, grey hair. He wants to tell him what he's thinking, but the words are stuck, so he decides to show him instead, and gently brushes his lips over Hannibal's mouth.

Hannibal instantly opens for him, tilts his head and slowly meets Face's hesitant tongue. They kiss tenderly for long minutes before Face pushes a very willing Hannibal backwards onto the bed.

"You have to know, John," Face whispers softly, warm, sweet breath caressing Hannibal's lips, "That when you make love to me, you fill me with something so precious and pure... you fill me with your love."

Tears fill Hannibal's eyes. He thinks he finally understands.

"I don't need fancy tricks, fancy skills, I... I just need you," Face finishes, licking his dry lips. "You once promised me forever. D-do you still mean that?"

The hesitant, unsure question tugs at Hannibal's heart. "Oh Tem, yes, I still mean that," he promises, tears slipping over his temples and disappearing into his hair. "Forever, my beautiful boy."

A smile curves Face's mouth, lighting his whole face up, and Hannibal thinks about what he very nearly lost, what his own stupid insecurities had very nearly cost him, and vows right then that he'll never let that happen again.

And he rolls them gently over, snagging the towel away from Face's hips as they go. "Let me love you, baby," he murmurs against Face's mouth before kissing him softly. And this time Hannibal doesn't let the ghosts of Face's previous lovers into their bedroom, their bed.

He worships every inch of his young lover's body, savours every little moan and groan knowing now that Face is drawing pleasure from everything Hannibal is doing, and then makes love to him slowly and deeply... pushing into his body with long, sure strokes, groaning at the wonderful silky tight heat welcoming him in, and then pulling out just as sensuously.

Face arches his body, pulls in a lungful of air with each of his lover's torturously slow thrusts in, and expels it as a pleasure filled groan when that wonderfully huge cock pulls out. This, _this_ is what Face loves. Hannibal makes love to him like an angel, making every nerve tingle with bliss, every sense explode in passion... filling him with love.

"I love you, Templeton Peck," Hannibal moans earnestly before taking Face's leaking hardness in one hand and pumping it in time with his thrusting, bringing them both to orgasm together.

They finish with frantic kisses, panting into each other's mouths, tears mingling, whispers of love and promises shared, until they calm and lay content in each other's arms.

Minutes later, Hannibal sighs and smiles down at Face, nudges the kid's nose with his. Face's eyes cross. "So, you wanna join me for a shower?" he asks hopefully. Face grins and nods.

oOo

When they both stroll into the kitchen an hour later, grinning and laughing softly together, Murdock sees them and smiles to himself. He looks around and notices with relief, and satisfaction, that huge, nasty abyss has gone now.

Rolling up a cold blueberry pancake leftover from breakfast, he sticks it in the side of his mouth like a cigar, leans back in his chair and nods in approval. He loves it when a plan comes together!


End file.
